Union Home Minister Lal
Krishna Advani is facing an all-round attack for uttering "lies"
before the Justice Liberhan Commission, probing events leading to the
demolition of over 467-years-old Babri Masjid. While former prime minister
Vishwanath Pratap Singh in Varanasi stuck to his word that he was ready to
take part in karseva for the construction of the Ram temple at Ayodhya at
an adjoining or alternative site but not at the disputed site where Babri
Masjid stood, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj
Party vice president Ms. Mayawati sharply attacked LK Advani in Lucknow
during a separate press conference, saying he was again trying to whip up
communal frenzy to gain political mileage in the coming assembly elections
in Uttar Pradesh. Reacting over the statement made by union home minister
L K Advani before the liberhan commission Mr Singh said in meet the press
programme here that Mr Advani was telling only a half truth that he (Mr
Singh) had expressed his eagerness to perform karseva at Ayodhya, Mr Singh
said that he had in fact informed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and
Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) that no karseva would be allowed at the
disputed site as per the direction of the supreme court.

In a counter question to Mr Advani, the former prime minister asked
whether he was ready to perform karseva, with him at an adjoining or
alternative site, leaving the disputed site untouhced.

Disclosing the circumstances under which the government ordinance
regarding the take- over of the adjoining land was withdrawn, Mr Singh
said every party involved in the dispute- the VHP and the babri masjid
action committee, opposed the government action, making it useless. then
there was also a possibility of the court rejecting the government move,
he added.

He said the withdrawal of the ordinance was a correct decision. It was
also vindicated when the supreme court refused to intervene into the
matter as the P V Narsimharao government sought the court's opinion on the
nature of the Ramjanambhoomi- babri masjid site.

Mr Singh said parties involved in the dispute raised objection on the
ordinance and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief professor Rajendra
Singh even accused the government that land requisition was aimed at
construction of a masjid.

He said if the ordinance in itself was the solution to the Ayodhya
dispute, successive governments were free to invoke an ordinance. He asked
why the BJP-led NDA government at the centre was hesitating to pass an
ordinance to solve the problem.'
The former P M said it was prime minister Atal Bihar Vajpayee who went to
the president to hand over the letter of withdrawal of support to his
government when he disallowed karseva at Ayodhya in 1990. Yet during his
own rule he warned the vhp that the government would not allow any karseva
at the disputed site. He said the top bjp leadership- failed to recognize
that any person who was holding the post of prime minister was bound to
uphold the Indian constitution and no government would allow karseva at
Ayodhya as things stood today.

In a lighter vein Mr Singh added, "if I was so eager to perform
karseva at Ayodhya, how come Mr Advani landed in jail (his rathyatra was
stopped and Mr Advani was arrested).
He said the present phase of the dispute started in 1989 when the congress
government allowed shilanyas near the disputed site.

Then the vhp leaders and hindu dharmacharya, gave written undertaking that
they would honour the court verdict on the disputed land. Later, the vhp
dishonoured its undertaking and took the stand that it would not accept
the court verdict nor would it change its stand.

He said the government had a certain limitation in solving the Ayodhya
dispute due to its religious and sentimental nature. "You can not
argue with religions and religious beliefs and when there is more than one
religion the problem further compounds," he added.

Mr Singh said as it was argued by many that the solution of the dispute
can be reached either by mutual understanding or by accepting the court
verdict.

Criticizing the efforts made by some political parties to drag Ayodhya
issue at the centre stage in the context of the forthcoming assembly
elections in uttar pradesh, Mr Singh said politics should be done on real
issues, economic and social. Religious issues will not solve the
difficulties faced by farmers, workers and students, he added.q